


Quiescent

by KrisseyCrystal (IceCreAMS)



Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo [19]
Category: Tales of Symphonia
Genre: Angst, Bad Things Happen Bingo, Blood and Injury, Crying, Gen, Hurt, Rodyle is mentioned but, Sobbing, Tears of Fear, Winged Dragons, asldkjf, kinda canon compliant but also uh, not important enough to tag, what if canon went Wrong
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-05-14
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:00:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24172468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IceCreAMS/pseuds/KrisseyCrystal
Summary: The mission to rescue Colette from Rodyle goes horribly wrong the moment he summons the winged dragons.
Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo [19]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1648339
Comments: 6
Kudos: 6
Collections: Bad Things Happen Bingo





	Quiescent

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MoominQuartz (IceCreAMS)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/IceCreAMS/gifts).



The thing 

about fear 

is that it bites. 

With stained teeth, fear sinks into bones. There’s a reason people have voices: because time and matter thought it necessary that space should be given for sound. Screaming is supposed to save her. Isn’t that its boon? And while there is fear in being hunted, it is some other, deeper horror entirely to watch those you love become prey. 

As they drew near, mere angular shadows circling high above, Presea had described the winged dragons herself in her toneless drawl: “ _Carnivorous. Excels at the pursuit and capture of prey. The probability of successful evasion on this small platform is one percent.”_

Which meant Rodyle was right. She is a sinful Chosen. She is worthless. Completely useless. 

_“She can’t save the world. She can’t merge with Martel,”_ Rodyle had chided and his laugh rings in her ears. _“She even puts her friends in danger…”_

Colette knows this. She knows this.

_“What a pathetic Chosen.”_

She had told them not to fight. She had told them to not try. She had told them to run. Why did they not listen to her? Why are they not running? 

Colette wishes they would take after Zelos, who had said he would “pass on dying, thanks,” and now hangs back, only striking out when an opportunity presents itself--a flank is left exposed or a leg is unguarded by a barbed tail--and then disengaging just as fast in an effort to avoid provoking the mother dragon. Sweat beads along his wrapped brow and Colette knows the shake in his arms is from more than just fear.

Colette has never before been so terrified and unable to do anything about it.

“You guys!” she screams from her cage of spinning light. “Please! Run!”

Regal, Lloyd, and Presea are the forerunners as they always are. As they always will be. Raine is at their backs, Genis behind her. His feet are planted into the glowing stone underneath his shoes as he throws spell after vicious spell into the fray. 

The first spiraling Photon Tempest Lloyd and Raine throw at one of the babies seems to work. The dragon crashes to the rocky ground hard on his jaw and Sheena cheers, “All right!” but the dragon’s hatchmate is there just as quickly. His webbed wing smacks into Lloyd and Colette shouts and can do nothing.

She can’t move as she watches the mother’s teeth nearly pierce Presea in half. She can’t move when Regal’s arm and chest have deep rivers of crimson spilling down his white shirt from pushing the girl out of the way just in time. Raine’s voice floods over them as she casts her healing magic, but her eyes aren’t on Lloyd. Lloyd, who is foolhardy and taking on the hatchmate alone and barely fast enough to stay ahead of its claws. 

All it takes is one 

faltering 

step. 

A claw catches one of his ribbons and yanks and like a ragdoll, jerked by his neck, Lloyd spills onto his back on the stone.

Colette watches and can do nothing. 

There’s a dark line of red dripping down Lloyd’s chin. He rises to his feet again, but his knees threaten to buckle.

The other baby leaps into the air, leaving underneath him the shuddering form of Regal. His leg is bent in a way it shouldn’t be; he has collapsed to the stone and still, Colette can do nothing.

“No…” 

Presea dashes to cover Regal as Raine pulls up behind her, dropping to her knees. Her hands glow, the name of healing spells tumbling from her lips. The shadow of the flying dragon falls over them both, claws first.

_“No!”_

Colette screams; her voice overlaps Sheena’s. Sheena, who is caught on her back underneath the mother’s teeth. Her feet kick up into pink gums, lodged in the uneven valley between two yellowing fangs, as she keeps the giant mouth pried open from closing around her. Her arms are trembling. Blood trails down her sleeves.

“Stop it!” Colette wants them to understand. 

Lloyd kills the hatchmate with a quick scissor of his blades. Both swords held out before him, he spins for the mother’s head, calling Sheena’s name.

Zelos is--

“--stop it!” 

She _needs_ them to understand. 

The world warps and distorts. Blurs. Colette wishes she could wipe at her own face. She wishes she could palm away her tears, but her hands refuse to move. They can’t.

She can do nothing.

 _“Stop it!”_ she cries the same instant Genis does when the remaining baby leaps and kicks out his feet. Ribbons of the back of Genis’ pale blue shirt flay with specks of angry, angry red. 

Colette screams. “Please! You have to stop this! You have to run!” 

Zelos runs in, holding his sword out above the both of them after Genis falls.

“Why aren’t you running?!” She can’t possibly be worth their lives; not when she couldn’t even do her part to save _them_. “Please, stop it!”

Sheena is unconscious. Her arms are loosely curled in front of her like she had been trying to protect herself.

Lloyd stands before the giant head of the mother, swords crossed. His legs are shaking, about to give out, but his jaw is set. Blood cakes the side of his face, but still, he fights. Still, he tries and Colette can do nothing. Her cheeks are cold, cold, cold, and so, so warm. She can’t breathe beyond the tightness corked in her throat. She tastes salt on her lips, dripping down her chin. It leaves icy, wet streaks down her throat.

“Please, Lloyd! Run!”

The mother lifts her head, long scaled neck gleaming in the sun. Her shadow towers over him.

Colette screams the instant she snaps down.

She screams.

And she screams.

**Author's Note:**

> another bad things happen bingo fill! This one requested by my husband <3 though it was CRUEL to request Colette be made to cry out of fear, it's always kind of...fun also to explore "y'know what if everyone doesn't win the fight and u were forced to watch ur friends one by one fall"
> 
> those winged dragons are a tough bunch anyway
> 
> i still have a few [bad things happen prompts open](https://somefinelipstickonthatpig.tumblr.com/post/618048442046070784/rated-g-fandom-tales-of-symphonia-prompt-tears); let me know if you see something you want done!


End file.
